We’re almost at the end of Day 1 here at YCS Anaheim! However, the Duelists are still competing, each of them hoping to earn enough points to make it to Day 2. For this round’s Feature Match, we have two Duelists that each carry an 6-1 record; Eion Joel VanTull playing the Vanquish Soul K9 Deck, and Tian Xiao Rong playing the Mitsurugi Deck. A win here will guarantee a spot on Day 2, so these Duelists will have to be at the top of their game to keep their competitive hopes alive!

Duel 1

VanTull opened with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Vanquish Soul Jiaolong, Vanquish Soul Snow Devil, “A Case for K9”, and Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius. 

Rong won the die roll and chose to go first! He started by activating Pot of Extravagance, banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck, but VanTull Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Afterwards, VanTull activated Triple Tactics Talent, looking at VanTull’s hand and returning Case back to the Deck. Rong then Normal Summoned Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa and searched for Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, then activated Habakiri’s effect to Special Summon and Tribute Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji. He searched for Mitsurugi Prayers, then activated Mitsurugi Ritual, Special Summoning Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from hand by Tributing Night Sword Serpent and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi from the Deck. He Special Summoned Night Sword Serpent and added Mitsurugi RItual back to hand, then used Night Sword and Aramasa to Xyz Summon Gallant Granite and search for Nibiru, the Primal Being. 

Next, Rong activated Mitsurugi Ritual once again, Tributing the Habakiri on the field to Special Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from the Deck, then Special Summoned back the Habakiri and searched for another Mitsurugi Prayers. He activated Prayers, Tributing the Murakumo and Special Summoning Saji, then Special Summoned back Murakumo and searched for Mitsurugi Mirror. Finally, he used Gallant Granite and Saji to Link Summon I:P Masquerena, used Habakiri and Murakumo to Link Summon Dyna Mondo, then activated Mirror, Tributing Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi from hand to Special Summon back Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi. He searched for yet another copy of Mitsurugi Prayers, Set 3 cards to his backrow, and ended his turn. 

VanTull drew Rescue-ACE Impulse for turn! He knew that he would not be able to break through Rong’s board, and conceded the first Duel. 

Duel 2

VanTull chose to go first this time! He opened with Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue, Vanquish Soul, Start!, Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, and two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He ended his turn without making any plays. 

Rong began his turn by activating the effect of Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, Special Summoning from his Deck and Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji. VanTull responded with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but when Rong tried to negate it with Called by the Grave, VanTull followed it up with the effect of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Rong then Set a card to his backrow and ended his turn. 

VanTull drew Dimensional Barrier for turn! He Set it to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Rong drew a card and Pre-Preparation of Rites, but VanTull Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Rong then ended his turn. 

VanTull drew K9-17 Izuna for turn! He Normal Summoned it and sent K9-ØØ Lupis to the Graveyard, entered the Battle Phase, and attacked Rong’s Life Points directly with Izuna before ending his turn. 

Rong drew a card, but ended his turn without making any plays. 

VanTull drew a second copy of Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue for turn! He Special Summoned one Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue by revealing the other one on in his hand, but Rong negated Hollie Sue’s effect with Dominus Impulse! VanTull Tribute Summoned Hollie Sue, then activated Start, targeting Hollie Sue, and searched for Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger. He Special Summoned Heavy Borger by returning Hollie Sue to hand, attacked Rong’s Life Points directly with Borger, then in Main Phase 2 used Borger to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher. He activated Rock’s effect, adding Heavy Borger back to hand, and ended his turn. 

Rong drew a card, but once again ended his turn without making any plays. 

VanTull drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for turn! He began by Special Summoning Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from hand. He then activated Start’s effect, targeting Hollie Sue, but Rong responded with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Next, VanTull Special Summoned K9-ØØ Lupis from the Graveyard, used Lupis and Hollie Sue to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper”, then activated Ripper’s effect to search for K9-66a Jokul and Set K9-X Forced Release to his backrow. On resolution, Rong activated the effect of Droll & Lock Bird! Here, VanTull activated the effect of Jokul, Special Summoning it and Hollie Sue from hand, then activated Hollie Sue’s effect, revealing the Heavy Borger and Ash Blossom! Knowing that VanTull was about to flood the field with Vanquish Soul monsters, Rong conceded. 

Duel 3

VanTull opened with Harpie’s Feather Duster, Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and two copies of K9-17 Izuna. 

Rong began by activating Pre-Preparation of Rites, adding Mitsurugi Mirror and Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to hand; he considered using the effect of Ash Blossom here, but he instead chose to hold it to try and negate the effect of Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji. Rong then activated Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Night Sword Serpent and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi from his Deck to Special Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from his hand, then Special Summoned Night Sword Serpent and added Mitsurugi Ritual back to his hand. Next, Rong Normal Summoned Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa, searching for Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, then used Night Sword Serpent and Aramasa to Xyz Summon Gallant Granite and search for Nibiru, the Primal Being! 

Rong activated the effect of Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, Special Summoning and Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji, then searched for Mitsurugi Prayers. He activated Mitsurugi Ritual once again, Tributing Murakumo from the field to Special Summon Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi from the Deck. Afterwards, he activated Murakumo’s effect, but here, VanTull chose to respond with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, stopping the search as well as preventing Rong from Special Summoning back Murakumo. Next, Rong activated Mitsurugi Prayers, Tributing Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his hand to search for another copy of Murakumoand Special Summon Murakumo out of the Graveyard, then activated Habakiri’s effect to search for Mitsurugi Great Purification. Finally, he used Gallant Granite and Murakumo to Link Summon Dyna Mondo and Set two cards to his backrow. 

Before reaching the End Phase, VanTull activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna, Special Summoning it and sending K9-ØØ Lupis to the Graveyard as Rong used Futsu’s effect to Special Summon back Murakumo. However, Rong was able to activate Murakumo’s effect to destroy the Izuna! VanTull also Special Summoned Lupis out of the Graveyard and used it to Xyz Summon Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis, as Rong used Futsu’s effect to Special Summon back both Aramasa and Saji. Rong finally ended his turn. 

VanTull drew Nibiru, the Primal Being for turn! He began the turn by activating Harpie’s Feather Duster, and Rong responded with Mitsurugi Great Purification, Tributing Futsu. Rong then activated Futsu’s effect, Special Summoning it back to the field and searching for Mitsurugi Prayers. VanTull entered the Battle Phase and attacked Dyna Mondo with TY-PHON, but Rong Chained the effect of Dyna Mondo, adding Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his Graveyard back to hand. VanTull instead used TY-PHON to attack Aramasa, but Rong chose to Tribute Saji so that Aramasa would not be destroyed. This allowed Rong to activate the effect of Saji, searching for Mitsurugi Prayers. In Main Phase 2, VanTull used TY-PHON to Xyz Summon Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder! He activated its effect, and Rong responded with Mitsurugi Magatama, Tributing Murakumo to destroy Zeus. Rong then activated Murakumo’s effect, Special Summoning it back to the field and searching for Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa. 

Next, VanTull Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love and activated its effect! Rong Chained the effect of Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi, and VanTull discarded Nibiru, the Primal Being so that his Mad Love could resolve and search for Vanquish Soul, Start!. However, on resolution, Rong activated the effect of Droll & Lock Bird! VanTull used Mad Love to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher, added Mad Love back to hand, and Special Summoned K9-ØØ Lupis out of the Graveyard, then ended his turn. 

Rong started his turn by activating Mitsurugi Mirror, Tributing Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his hand to Special Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from his hand. He activated its effect to destroy VanTull’s Rock and Lupis! VanTull had no way to defend his Life Points left, and conceded. 

Rong wins the Duel and improves to a 7-1 record here at YCS Anaheim!